


Metsänpeitto

by AbsintheNightmare



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Established Relationship, Finnish folklore inspired stuff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Some horror elements?, Supernatural Elements, There are more dogs in here than I planned, Woosang is whipped for each other, Wooyoung lost in the woods, Wooyoung smells like roses, Yunho has dogs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:55:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,086
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28920924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbsintheNightmare/pseuds/AbsintheNightmare
Summary: When Wooyoung tripped over a root, he thought his biggest problems were dirty clothes and some infuriating farmhand trying to flirt with the man he was in love with. Then suddenly nothing around him seems familiar, and the offered advice leads him lost even further into the woods.It's only when he realizes that he's become unseen to Yeosang, who is looking for him, that Wooyoung realizes he's in much, much bigger trouble. And he has to find a way out, for he's not in this forest alone.
Relationships: Jung Wooyoung/Kang Yeosang, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29





	1. The Afternoon Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello <3 I come bearing gifts!
> 
> Soo, I got some ideas after discussing mythology-inspired fics with people, and remembered the concept of _metsänpeitto_. And because Finnish mythology/folklore is criminally underutilized (mostly bc lack of sources to draw from, I guess, so it's not very well known), I decided to dive in and play with it a little. You will notice that the setting of this work is also heavily inspired by like late 18th/early 19th century Finland (not set in there, just heavily inspired by it), got to stick with the theme 😂
> 
> This first chapter was originally supposed to be even longer, but for the sake of my own sanity I decided to split it. Still longer than any usual chapter I would write! It's also a lot.. fluffier? Idk, than the rest of this work will be... I am not 100% sure what kind of things lie ahead just yet, but I will update the tags and the rating accordingly as it becomes clearer. I'll also probably mention additional warnings in the author's notes, if necessary!
> 
> I'm super excited to write this, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well <3

Wooyoung had been told many times that too much sunlight would be dangerous. Ever since he had been a child, he remembered the warnings from his mother, from almost every other person in his life. But as he laid there peacefully, listening to the birds chirp and the water flow in the river, as the warm afternoon sun caressed his skin, he couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d take the potential danger it posed if it meant he could stay at this spot.

He kept his eyes closed even when he heard someone approach. Soon enough, he felt that someone throwing themselves right next to him on the grass, a frustrated huff accompanying his landing. 

”What a lovely way to say hello you have”, Wooyoung said, chuckling.   
”I’m amazed by your manners.”

”You of all people have no right to talk to me about manners.” 

Wooyoung cracked one eye open, and immediately felt like he needed to shield his eyes from the sight he was blessed by. Despite having known him for years, looking at Yeosang still did that to him sometimes. He got over his awe quickly, trying to pick where to direct his gaze. To the strong arms revealed by rolled up sleeves, or to the gorgeous doe eyes that could tell him so many things with a single look. To the soft, dark brown hair he loved to bury his face in every now and then until his face started itching. Most of all Wooyoung preferred Yeosang’s smile, as its brightness could at times rival the sun, but from the tone of his voice he already knew that would not be granted to him, for now. 

”Are you upset?” he asked, despite the fact that he could already tell. Yeosang huffed again, looking somewhere past him for a moment before scooting closer. 

”More annoyed, I guess”, he admitted.   
”He came to pester me again.”

Wooyoung frowned. He knew exactly what the other was talking about. 

Even before they had realized the nature of the feelings they held for each other, Wooyoung had always thought Yeosang was absolutely breathtaking. There was something captivating about that angelic face of his, and it wasn’t left unnoticed by anyone. Yeosang was without question the most beautiful of their village, had been most beautiful in their old village before they left to live here instead, and Wooyoung was sure they couldn’t find a match for him in any of the neighboring ones either. However, one of the consequences of such beauty was attention. Most of it was harmless, people admiring the young man from afar or complimenting him in passing. But many times that attention manifested in the form of suitors knocking at their door, or ambushing Yeosang as he was simply minding his business and making their attempts to court him. 

Now, even that they could usually deal with gracefully. Yeosang had mastered the skill of politely turning someone down, and he didn’t even need to make excuses for it. Wooyoung’s existence was enough. Anyone in their own village would only need to be told that they were not only just living together, but that their bond went much deeper than simply being friends since young age and having arrived to the village together. With some of the candidates that had come from neighbor villages - _didn’t they have enough cute young people on their own?_ \- Yeosang’s word sometimes wasn’t enough, but usually Wooyoung making his presence known, often wrapping a possessive arm around the other’s shoulders or waist in the process, made the message clear. They had to go and find their own sweetheart from somewhere else, as it was Wooyoung whom Yeosang had promised the most beautiful wedding they could arrange. When that would take place, neither of them knew yet, but it’s not like there was any hurry. They already had lived together for years, and for Wooyoung it would mostly just be the ultimate sign of their love for each other, and something that they could celebrate with their friends. 

However, sometimes - rarely, but not rarely enough - there would be those people, who didn’t seem to get the message or straight up ignored Yeosang’s very clear rejection, and it made Wooyoung wish they were actually married already. Then again, with this type of people, he didn’t believe even that would have helped much. They would keep coming back again and again, with the exact same promises and empty flattery falling from their mouths and their ears rusted shut, deaf to the words spoken that made very clear that their target wasn’t interested and their heart already belonged to someone. Wooyoung didn’t feel jealous, not even that possessive, most of the time. He had no reason to doubt Yeosang’s love for him, and he didn’t. But witnessing someone trying to worm their way to his darling and trying to shove him aside or pretend he didn’t exist... that raised some ugly feelings in him. 

And the person Yeosang likely was talking about was a particularly annoying case. 

”Sungwoo again?” Wooyoung asked, getting an affirming nod in return. He huffed in sympathy. Not a surprise. The man had appeared first around a month ago, apparently coming to work for one of the larger houses as a farmhand. It hadn’t been a surprise that he would soon learn of Yeosang’s existence and think he was pretty. To both of Yeosang’s and Wooyoung’s great annoyance, Sungwoo had proven himself to be one of those men who didn’t seem to understand the words ” _not interested_ ” or ” _already promised to another_ ”. Which meant that he was bothering them almost on a daily basis, despite Yeosang’s best attempts to avoid him. 

Wooyoung had never liked it when people were trying to push themselves on his lover, especially when they seemed to try to ignore his existence. That had been Sungwoo’s tactic as well, until Wooyoung had very firmly, very vocally, told him to leave them alone, making it impossible to ignore him anymore. 

Not that what had followed had been any better, as Sungwoo had not stopped bothering Yeosang. Only his approach had changed: instead of simply trying to sweet talk his way into the beautiful man’s good graces, he instead tried to persuade him to ditch Wooyoung and trash talk him any chance he could.  _ What does he have to offer that I don’t  _ and so on. Sometimes when Wooyoung himself was there, right next to him. 

It was a miracle that he hadn’t punched the asshole yet. Wooyoung attributed that to the tiny shred of the sense of self preservation that he had, as Sungwoo unfortunately was very strong. And offensively tall. Wooyoung had made a mental note to aim for the kneecaps, should he ever decide to get physical with the bastard. 

”Same old song as always?” he asked, wrapping an arm around Yeosang as the other pressed closer. 

”Mm. Does he look like a guy who gets new ideas?” he muttered, laying his head against Wooyoung’s neck. 

”Maybe he could surprise us. By getting into a hunting accident.”

”Wooyoung, do you realize how difficult it is to cover up a murder?” Yeosang chuckled as Wooyoung gasped dramatically. 

”Now where’s your mind going? I’m simply suggesting that he might get torn apart by wolves.” 

”Yunho told me that there are no packs living anywhere close, so that will not be happening. Which leaves murder as the only plausible hunting accident.”

”Bears?” Wooyoung suggested. Yeosang laughed, shaking his head. 

”You remember that bears couldn’t care less about humans, right? Don’t worry, he’ll get bored soon”, he said, shifting to get more comfortable.  
”They all do, eventually.”

”He better start getting bored already”, Wooyoung muttered.   
”Or I’ll have Jongho forge me an axe...”

”Can you even hold one?” Yeosang quirked a brow. 

”No, but do you think that will stop me?”

”I can teach you? No offense, Wooyoung, but I don’t trust you with an axe.”

”Why?” Wooyoung frowned.   
”I’ve never hurt myself? Are you saying you’d do it better?” 

”Of course I do. I’m the one who chops pretty much all of our firewood, remember?”

Wooyoung huffed quietly. Of course he knew that, but forgive him if such a detail slipped his mind, especially since it was the warmest season and they were currently laying in the lovely sunshine. Firewood was the last thing he would have thought of at a moment like this.

”In that case you should threaten him yourself”, he suggested.  
”I think I’d love to see that.”

He couldn’t see it but he could easily imagine Yeosang rolling his eyes. 

”You’re into the weirdest things, Wooyoung”, he stated. Wooyoung giggled back.

”I’m just into you”, he claimed.   
”And I appreciate your strength, so excuse me if I find the thought of you grabbing an axe and telling that asshole where to shove it very appealing.”

Yeosang laughed quietly against his neck. 

”Fair enough”, he mumbled and pressed his nose into Wooyoung’s skin.  
”You always smell so nice... you still haven’t told me what’s your secret.”

Wooyoung grinned. 

”I promise that’s the only secret I will keep from you”, he replied. The secret actually was fairly simple: a very fine rose water that he had learned to mix himself, and applied on his skin. Yeosang always said that it was impossible for Wooyoung to hide or sneak up on him since he always smelled like roses. And his sweetheart had a sharp nose. How he hadn’t managed to find his vials and ingredients that Wooyoung hadn’t exactly bothered to hide anywhere and just kept them in their smaller storehouse was a miracle. Not that it would have bothered Wooyoung if the other had found out. They didn’t really have anything to hide from each other. Even his rose scent was more like a fun little mystery than an actual secret. 

After getting enough of said scent, Yeosang pushed himself to sit up, pressing a soft kiss on his temple in the process. 

”Anyway, I should get back to work”, he said, to which Wooyoung let out a protesting whine.

”You only just got here”, he tried. 

”Yeah, but the chickens won’t feed themselves. Also, our bed sheets are torn since _someone_ got a little overexcited and I have to fix them”, Yeosang grinned back, his hand reaching out to pet Wooyoung’s dark hair. Wooyoung made a face while willing himself into not blushing. He was pretty sure the fault lied in both of them. 

”And Mingi was asking after you. He could appreciate your help with taking inventory at the granaries.”

Wooyoung rubbed his face. The warmth made him a little sleepy.

”Fine, I’ll be there...” he nodded. 

As sad as it was to leave a great spot in the sun, he wouldn’t leave a friend in need when they asked for his help. While Yeosang and Wooyoung usually spent a good portion of their days working at their house, caring for the few animals they had, they weren’t self-sufficient like many other families in the area with land to farm. So to support themselves they usually helped their fellow villagers where they could. They were doing okay, and in case they suddenly wouldn’t be, Wooyoung knew he could trust his friends to help. And if even that failed, he would bottle some of the rose water and travel to the nearest town to sell it. It would work for sure, as Yeosang sure wasn’t the only one who had ever told him he smelled good. Perhaps he could become a perfumer someday, if he could come up with other mixes. Then again, that might require them to move elsewhere, and they were quite happy to stay here too... 

It turned out Mingi was more after someone to keep him company while he worked, but Wooyoung made a point to try to at least marginally help as they looked through how much grain and flour there was left. Mingi’s family lived pretty close to the mill, and Wooyoung found himself helping out there the most, which he definitely wasn’t going to complain about. The family liked him, Mingi was fun to be around, great at baking, and many times had whipped out small treats for them to enjoy after work or as they would have a break. 

”Has your tall and handsome hunter come to see you today?” Wooyoung asked as they stepped out of the granary, crouching down to pet a dog that came his way, one of the many, many ones that people kept and ran around freely at the village. He grinned as he saw blush creeping on Mingi’s face. 

”He stopped by in the morning as he returned from the hunt”, he said, avoiding the knowing gaze sent his way as he bent down to give the dog a couple pets too. Were it not for how it seemed to be especially delighted to see the taller man, it would have been difficult to determine whose dog it was exactly, at least to Wooyoung. Many of them looked almost identical: a knee-high Spitz with a light brown fur, with some reddish shades in the mix. But this was obviously one that lived close by, which explained why it was so familiar with Mingi. Wooyoung had never caught its name. 

”He’s probably going again in the evening”, Mingi continued as he cooed over the dog. 

Like Yunho often did, Wooyoung thought. Yunho had said that both dawn and dusk were great times for a hunt. And while Mingi wasn’t very enthusiastic to go with him, he was usually working by that time as well. Sometimes Wooyoung was helping too, and he had the front row seat to witnessing the handsome hunter return from the woods to see Mingi. It hadn’t been difficult to figure out what was going on as soon as he had arrived to the village, and very soon after the first time he had seen the two meet, Wooyoung had asked whether the two were already a serious couple or if they were only circling each other for now. The truth had lied somewhere between the two options, and by now everyone was aware of how there was no coming in between them. And no one would even dare to try, given how adorable they were together, Wooyoung smiled to himself. Both Yunho and Mingi were very sweet-natured, and thus perfectly complimenting each other.

”Um, Wooyoung?” Mingi had stood up straight and poked his cheek, snapping him out of his thoughts.   
”I don’t want to ruin your day, but doesn’t it look like an earthworm is about to crawl to your house?” 

Wooyoung grimaced in advance as he turned to look. Not far away from them he saw the unnecessarily familiar figure of Sungwoo walking away, heading in the direction that Wooyoung and Yeosang lived. 

”You have to be kidding me”, Wooyoung sighed, annoyed.  
”He was already turned away once today and he’s still trying?”

”Technically he wasn’t”, Mingi pointed out.   
”Yeosang just ran away when I hollered at him, until that point it had probably been nothing but slimy monologue.”

Wooyoung swore he could usually control his temper better, but something about this matter was seriously getting under his skin and driving him towards some rather nasty thoughts. 

”I swear if this doesn’t stop I _ will _ arrange that hunting accident”, he hissed. Mingi huffed next to him. 

”Be my guest, as long as you don’t get Yunho in trouble. No one will miss Sungwoo, I can tell you that.” 

Wooyoung could have told himself that as well. While apparently not many people outright detested Sungwoo, who could in many situations at least pretend he had a shred of manners in him, his behavior around Yeosang and Wooyoung didn’t win him any friends. Both of them, on the other hand, had many friends in the village. And if they didn’t like him... well, it wasn’t hard to guess whom their friends would side with. 

”I have to go.” 

He bid Mingi (and the dog) a quick farewell and strode after Sungwoo. He would not tolerate the slimy worm on his doorstep, or anywhere near his home. 

They lived fairly close to the heart of the village, not too far from Yunho’s family whose homestead was probably the closest of all the larger ones. That meant there wasn’t exactly much space, but then again, they weren’t farmers themselves. Wooyoung was very content with their house that had more than enough space for the two of them, and all of their animals. 

He had no trouble catching up to Sungwoo, just as the bastard had reached their gate. 

”Hey!” Wooyoung yelled out as the other was about to make a move to open it, and his hand actually flinched away from the wooden surface.   
”What makes you think you’d be welcome here?”

Sungwoo turned to look at him, his strong features twisted by the look of contempt he held as he saw Wooyoung. A look that Wooyoung was used to from him, and one he could easily respond to with one of his own. 

”Don’t you have someone else to pester, runt?” he had the audacity to ask. Wooyoung huffed.

”I could ask you the same, shovel-face”, he spat.   
”Especially since this is  _ my _ home, and you’re here to bother  _ my _ Yeosang.”

Sungwoo tilted his head, leaning heavily on the side in an exaggerated manner. 

”I’ve seen no ring in either of your hands”, he stated dismissively.  
”If he wanted to be yours, don’t you think he would have married you already? You’ve had all the time in the world to court him, don’t you?”

”I don’t need a ring to show I love him, or that he loves me”, Wooyoung retorted.  
”He could have told you that as well. In fact, I think he has. Many times. Which you would know, if you didn’t like the sound of your own voice so much. A very ugly sound, by the way.”

He was sure he saw Sungwoo’s eye twitch in anger. He glanced around to the ground, trying to locate a rock to throw, anything he could use to defend himself in case he finally managed to piss off the other enough for him to get violent. He was pretty sure Sungwoo had a knife somewhere on him. 

”Now, get out of here”, he continued.   
”I have better things to do than look at your disgusting face, and so does Yeosang.”

”Have you asked him, perhaps?” Sungwoo hummed, his face turning smug. Wooyoung clenched his fist.  
”You sound awfully possessive. Scared that if I get to talk to him he’ll realize he likes me better?”

As. If. The whole thought coaxed out a somewhat deranged laugh out of Wooyoung.

”In your dreams”, he stated.   
”Yeosang hates your guts just as much as I do, I can tell you that. And you’re lucky he’s too nice about it, otherwise he would have already fed you his fist and your own teeth on the side.”

It honestly bewildered him how delusional a man could be. Yeosang had never been the one to sugarcoat his words: when he told people he wasn’t interested, he said it clearly. How nicely he put it depended on the other person’s behavior, but he had never shied away from being blunt. And Wooyoung knew the message had been laid out loud and clear to Sungwoo as well, many times. And yet, each time it seemed to fall on deaf ears. Even now, as he laughed disbelievingly. 

”Forgive me if I don’t believe that”, he said.  
”He couldn’t do such a thing..”

Wooyoung felt the words adding more dried wood to a pyre of fury that had been slowly growing in him during the entire conversation. 

”He could. And he absolutely should”, he insisted, stepping forward and shoving the other’s chest with his hand.  
”Now  _ fuck off _ . He’s not interested, and he’s taken! And if I don’t see you walk away in ten seconds, I’ll punch you myself!”

He hadn’t pushed hard at all. Sungwoo hadn’t even budged. But the hostile gesture had been enough provocation, Wooyoung realized as he was suddenly grabbed by the collar and pulled close to a threatening distance.

”Now you better watch it, runt”, Sungwoo hissed, low and angry, glaring at him.   
”You try picking a fight with me and even your mother wouldn’t recognize you after I’m done ruining your pretty little face.”

Wooyoung had no doubt he wouldn’t go through with the threat. But while a beating wasn’t on the list of experiences he wished to have, he refused to cower and instead stared back defiantly. 

A bark from very close distracted them both. And it was followed by a more human voice.

”Knock it off, you two!”

Wooyoung looked aside to see another dog. One he recognized and knew the name of, for once. Pest had, along with a very amusing name, a darker fur than most of the other dogs in the village, one that tinted much more to red. As it kept barking, Wooyoung saw its owner stride closer.

”Get out of here, Sungwoo, you obviously have no business here.”

Yunho was almost the same height as Sungwoo, around what Wooyoung would describe as ”annoyingly tall”. That combined with broad shoulders and at least one hunting rifle he would often have with him he could make a very intimidating presence. It was a rare sight, however, Wooyoung thought, as Yunho had a very soft face and gentle demeanor, and from the first meeting it had become clear that he was the biggest sweetheart. But when he pulled up his serious, stern face, even Wooyoung felt a little intimidated, even when it wasn’t directed at him. 

It seemed enough to make Sungwoo withdraw as well. Wooyoung felt him let go of his shirt, and when he turned his head back, he saw the farmhand turn away to leave, without saying a word. He huffed to himself.  _ Cowardly piece of shit _ . 

Yunho approached him, his face now more relaxed, if a little concerned.

”Are you okay?” he asked. Wooyoung nodded, trying to control his still flaming anger as he took several deep breaths. Pest ran to him, pushing against his leg. 

”He really pisses me off...” he squatted down to give the dog some pets. Of the two dogs Yunho had, Pest was more trusting and often ran to greet him, while Scoundrel was more wary and kept its distance, not really leaving the yard except for when Yunho took it with him for hunts. The latter was nowhere to be seen, unsurprisingly. 

”Maybe you could bite him a little, for me?” Wooyoung hummed at the dog. He heard Yunho scoff. 

”Sorry, but not going to happen. I’m not going to let Pest get any of that filth in his mouth”, he said.   
”Was he bothering Yeosang again?”

”Was going to”, Wooyoung grunted as he stood back up.   
”I swear I’m going to trip him over to the river one day... or borrow one of your rifles.”

Yunho simply hummed in response, in a way that told Wooyoung that kind of favor would not happen either. While none of them liked Sungwoo, the others weren’t as down with the idea of getting rid of him in any violent manner. And if he was completely honest, neither was Wooyoung, really. It was mostly his angry side speaking. The one he needed to soothe right now. 

”I have to take a walk.”

”You want company?” Yunho offered, but he shook his head. 

”No, I need to cool off right now before I go back home or run after the asshole and throw a rock at him”, he said.  
”See you around.”

His first instinct was to run back to the river, but he quickly scrapped the idea as it was the direction Sungwoo had left to. So he chose the exact opposite.

The forest was never far. No matter which direction Wooyoung headed, he would eventually come across it. While he wasn’t an enthusiastic hunter like Yunho or just someone who spent all their free time outdoors, the forests surrounding their village had become at least somewhat familiar to him. The smell of moss and the trees, and the very, very annoying call of the cuckoo. The number one in the list of birds Wooyoung definitely hated the most. And of course one had to be casting its call right now, filling his ears with the rage-inducing noise. Wooyoung suppressed the urge to punch a tree. 

He had to do something about this. His already scarce patience was wearing thin, and he knew Yeosang got upset every time Sungwoo decided to appear and harass him, even when he tried not to let it show. But it felt like there wasn’t much he could do for now, as his love didn’t seem to want to make a fuss. Otherwise Wooyoung would have already marched to the house Sungwoo worked for and told his master to fire him, or made enough noise among the other people so they could side with him and help him drive the scum out. 

Maybe he should actually do it, despite Yeosang claiming it wasn’t necessary. Especially now it felt like the right thing to do. After all, in addition to continuously bugging Yeosang who wasn’t interested and had already told him  _ many times _ to leave him alone, Sungwoo had very much threatened Wooyoung, and Yunho would back up his claim. More than enough reasons to fire a farmhand whom no one really liked that much, no matter how good a worker he was. 

The cuckoo finally shut up at least, and for a little while Wooyoung was blessed with comfortable silence only filled by the faint rustling of trees thanks to the quiet wind, and his own footsteps as some small twigs snapped beneath his shoes. There wasn’t really a path in the forest, or not one he would follow, at least. It didn’t matter, he wouldn’t go too far, and despite its all-surrounding quality, the forest probably wasn’t actually that large and if he went far enough, he would eventually come across a road or a field. All the different scents of the forest seemed stronger, it had rained in the morning. Only briefly, but he could see the ground was still moist, as the forest was quite thick.

As he finally felt himself calm down enough, Wooyoung allowed himself to think of some more pleasant things. Above all else, the wedding Yeosang had promised him. While what he had said to Sungwoo was true - rings were a nice touch that he would love to have but ultimately they were just a gesture, not a required proof of one’s love and loyalty - he was looking forward to it. 

” _ Midsummer sounds good, doesn’t it? _ ” Yeosang had said once, with Wooyoung instantly agreeing and being blessed with the radiant smile he loved so much to see, as it made his lover’s entire face light up. 

” _ By the lake? It always looks so beautiful in the evening sun. _ ” 

Wooyoung had every intention to hold onto that idea. While they kept telling themselves they had no hurry, he was sure now of when he wanted it to happen. Next year, after hopefully Sungwoo would be gone from casting an unpleasant shadow over  _ his _ wedding and making it feel like he was marrying Yeosang because he was afraid someone would take him away from him and not because he loved him. 

Wooyoung grimaced. How in the hell did that asshole manage to invade even his nicest thoughts? He huffed in annoyance.

And yelped as suddenly his ankle got caught in something, sending him falling over after a dramatic waving of hands in a desperate attempt of keeping his balance. 

"Ow, fuck…"

He raised his head and brushed his nose, grateful for the moss that had softened his landing at least somewhat. And also betrayed him by masking the tree root he had probably tripped over. Not that he had looked where he was going... He pulled himself up to a sitting position. 

While his ankle stung, it didn't feel like he had twisted it badly as he gently tried moving his foot. And to his relief Wooyoung found that he could still place weight on that leg as he pushed himself up from the ground. He grimaced as he rubbed his nose, wiping away any excess dirt that tripping over and face planting to the tussock of moss may have left on him. He knew without looking that his clothes would be covered in everything that would agree to leave the ground and stick on him - and since the soil and the plants were moist because of the recent rainfall, there would be a lot. Wooyoung hated doing laundry. 

He tried to brush off the worst of it as he continued on walking, this time paying close attention to where he was stepping, in case another root was planning to make an attempt on his life. While at the same time trying to come up with a good way to bribe Yeosang into washing his clothes for him. They both absolutely loathed doing it and Wooyoung knew better than anyone that as sweet as the other was, he could also be stubborn as a mule. He couldn’t score a favor just by pleading and fluttering his lashes. 

Maybe he could charm Mingi into baking him something he could then give to Yeosang… he had a weakness for all kinds of sweet treats. But that would probably require him to do something in return and by then he would have washed his clothes himself three times already. But that wasn’t the only option. Wooyoung squinted as he eyed the moss and patches of other plants. It was the right season for wild strawberries… he could gather a handful, maybe two. Yeosang loved the sweet berries and if he was careful, he could bring some back in his pockets without turning them into mush. 

He only had to find some. And at that moment Wooyoung remembered someone - probably Yunho, Yunho knew everything - telling him that he definitely wouldn’t find them in the thickest areas of the forest. But there would be a clearing somewhere, he was sure. Maybe he would get lucky. Wooyoung continued on, trying to sharpen his wild strawberry tracking senses to their very best. 

This was a mistake. 

If there was a clearing in the forest, it didn’t seem to be anywhere near him. He was sure he had walked forward for what felt like half an hour and his wild strawberry senses weren’t tingling at all. Wooyoung finally halted, leaning against a tree and sighing. 

As he did so, he suddenly was struck with an odd feeling. Something felt different than it had a while ago. He raised his head, brushing his hair back. 

What was it that was out of place? Everything looked the same as it had a moment ago. There had been no path and the woods hadn’t gotten any thicker or sparser. He turned to look back the way he came. 

Wait, had he come from there? Wooyoung frowned. He usually had a good sense of direction, but the way didn’t look that familiar… he couldn’t even see his own trail on the ground. His steps should have been visible in the moist dirt and moss.

Had he actually hit his head as he had tripped? And had the forest always been this silent? He could have sworn he’d just heard birds chirping somewhere close, but now it was nowhere to be heard. Like the woods around him had absorbed all the sound around him. Even the wind had stilled. 

Wooyoung definitely didn’t feel like continuing forward anymore. He could do his laundry himself like a big boy. Maybe Yeosang would even take pity on him. He should turn around now. 

He must have been overthinking things, he reasoned as he turned to walk to the direction he had come from, or at least thought he had. Admittedly, he hadn’t paid that much attention to his surroundings as he had been focusing on trying to locate the berries, but for some reason the forest suddenly struck him as oddly unfamiliar. 

Had he made a turn at some point? Many turns? He wasn’t quite sure. But maybe if he kept going straight, he would come back to the village eventually, as he was pretty sure he knew the general direction. He pushed on, trying to shake off more of the moist plants that had stuck to his clothes. 

Perhaps it was the silence that got to him, now that the sound of the wind rustling the trees had died down and even the damn cuckoo was quiet for once. Everyone kept talking about the silence one would meet when they got into the woods, but Wooyoung knew that even what they usually called silence was in fact still full of different ambient noises. Now that they weren't there and the only sound left was the one made by his footsteps, the forest felt uncomfortably eerie. 

A feeling that only got stronger the further he walked, yet not at any point did anything start to look familiar. It was seriously starting to unsettle him. 

He must have hit his head as he fell, even if he didn’t feel any pain and the ground had been soft... 

Frustration and unease stopped his legs and he stood there, glancing around for anything that he would even vaguely have remembered passing as he had walked the other way. But there was nothing. All there was were unfamiliar trees, some bushes and other plants as far as he could see. It all looked way too identical and he had a hard time spotting anything distinct he could have used as a sign of where he was.

It was then that something finally caught his eye. Something moving in the distance. Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice told Wooyoung that he probably should have been more alarmed by the unusual stillness that seemingly had taken over the entire forest, but he was more focused on finally noticing  _ something _ . 

Something that, at least from this distance, seemed to be shaped like a person. Wooyoung moved closer, squinting. Yes, it was definitely a human-shaped form. Someone else was here with him, and they had somehow managed to stay incredibly quiet as well. Whoever it was, they so far didn’t apparently hear him yet. Well, he intended to change that. 

”Hey!”

He almost cringed at how loud it sounded, when there was no other noise around. Wooyoung had always been told he could be incredibly loud, and his voice could carry even long distances, but this was something else. He hopped over some tree roots and rocks as the figure turned around. For a moment, as Wooyoung got closer, he thought they might run away, but no, they stayed in place. From this distance he could finally make out some features. 

He was approaching a man with dark hair, maybe a little older than himself. He stood there shirtless, which Wooyoung thought was a little weird for one to do in a forest, even if it was quite warm, but his sun-kissed skin looked flawless and healthy. And when he got close enough, he faced dark eyes that had a curious look in them, and a very beautiful face that had actually Wooyoung’s mouth dropping open for about a second. Of course, he would always see Yeosang as the most beautiful man he had ever met, but... this man gave him a pretty good competition. 

Wooyoung stopped at a polite distance. Now what?

”Um, I...” he still hated how loud his words sounded, even when he was speaking normally. The man tilted his head.

”What’s wrong, little one?” he asked, Wooyoung instantly forgiving the alleged jab at his height at the sound of his voice. It was smooth and low like Yeosang’s, but at the same time very different, having almost a hypnotic effect.   
”Are you lost?”

”I think so”, Wooyoung nodded, swallowing his embarrassment. Who got lost in the woods that were so close to home? Then again, a possible head trauma couldn’t still be ruled out. He quickly checked both his forehead and the top of his head for blood. There was none. 

”Um... who are you?” he continued, running his gaze up and down the man’s figure once more.  
”I don’t think you’re from our village?”

It was obvious, but the words slipped out anyway. He would have remembered someone this handsome. 

”I’m not”, the man nodded in affirmation.   
”I think you’ve gotten yourself a little too far by accident. I’m Seonghwa, I live close by.”

Wooyoung nodded slowly, looking around. Was there another village somewhere in this direction then? Or was this guy someone who lived in the forest? While not common, he had heard there were that kind of people as well. They mostly kept to themselves, relying almost entirely on hunting. 

”I’m Wooyoung”, he introduced himself.   
”So... I don’t suppose you could tell me where I should go? I need to get back home.”

Seonghwa nodded again, a very sweet smile settling on his lips. 

”Of course I can, Wooyoung”, he replied, saying his name like he was trying to extract its flavor.   
”Your village is the one close to the Green Lake, isn’t it?”

It was, Wooyoung confirmed it. Either Seonghwa was good at guessing or there weren’t many other villages close to these parts of the forest. 

”In that case, you should go that way.”

Seonghwa pointed to their left, Wooyoung following his finger. He frowned. He didn’t recall coming from that direction. But then again, he was the one here who was lost.

”Are you sure?” he asked anyway.

”Absolutely”, Seonghwa insisted, still smiling.  
”The lake is that way, and it’s the easiest way for you to find your way back. Just keep going until you come across it. You’ve been there before, right?”

Wooyoung had. After all, the lakefront was their favorite candidate for the spot to hold their wedding ceremony. 

”Thank you so much”, he flashed Seonghwa a bright smile.   
”I thought I was about to go crazy in here. Everything looks the same! And it’s so weirdly quiet, don’t you think?”

Seonghwa chuckled.

”I don’t think it’s that quiet at all”, he shrugged.   
”But maybe that’s just me. Anyway, you better get going. It’ll be late soon, and while it may not get too dark, the hunters will arrive soon and they have terrible aim and sight. Every time they’re in danger of accidentally shooting each other after mistaking a human for a deer.”

Wooyoung giggled shortly, he remembered Yunho speaking something similar. It was obvious Seonghwa had come across many hunters as well, probably was one himself. 

”I should go, indeed. Yeosang will get worried”, he agreed and watched the other’s dark brows rise at the mention of another name.

”Oh? Is he someone special?” the smile tilted slightly, into something more teasing, even if it mainly stayed sweet. Wooyoung nodded.

”My fiancé”, he explained. It was probably the best word to use, even if it sounded a little strange when it came out of his mouth. To him Yeosang usually was just... Yeosang. Eventually his husband, but they were getting there. 

”I see”, Seonghwa hummed, interest flashing in his eyes briefly.   
”He must be lovely.”

”He is the most beautiful person I’ve met”, Wooyoung declared, a smile on his face as the mere thought had happiness bubbling in his chest.  
”Though you’re really pretty as well. Do you have anyone special?”

Seonghwa laughed, low and melodic. 

”No, I don’t”, he shook his head.   
”I have some company I keep, but it’s different from what you have. But you get back home now, alright? You wouldn’t want to make Yeosang worried, would you?”

No, he most certainly didn’t. If he stayed away too long, Yeosang might actually get worried and think something might have happened to him, and the last thing Wooyoung wanted was to give him a reason to worry over nothing.

”Yeah, I’ll be going then. Thank you, I hope we’ll meet again”, he said, offering a smile and wave as he started to walk to where Seonghwa had pointed. His gesture was returned.

”Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're not familiar with the namesake of this fic, so to save you the googling I'll give a very short explanation:
> 
>  **Metsänpeitto** ("forest's cover") is a phenomenon in Finnish folklore, where a person or a domestic animal goes missing in a forest, and they can't recognize their surroundings anymore, even if they're in a familiar place. It's said that they also become invisible to others, or appear to them as part of the forest, like as a rock or a tree stump. One notable characteristic of it is said to be an unnatural silence, where all the natural sounds of the forest are gone. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Comments and kudos are very much appreciated <33
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)  
> Cc: [@Absmare](https://curiouscat.qa/Absmare)


	2. The Evening Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have returned, with another chapter!  
> By the way, if there's something at any point of the story that you think should be tagged, please let me know!  
> Thank you for giving kudos and comments to the first one, hope you like this as well <3

It wasn’t unusual for either of them to be on the move for almost the entire day, even when they really could have used two pairs of hands back home. But whatever Mingi had needed help for would have taken only an hour or so, and Wooyoung knew they had other things to do at home. It had taken a while for Yeosang to do all of the chores that usually would have been done ages ago, were they both here. 

And at no point had he seen even a glimpse of Wooyoung. Not since they had both left from the riverbank. And that had been hours ago. Yeosang’s first thought had been that he had sneaked back and fallen asleep or just got caught talking to Mingi for longer than usual. But no, that couldn’t be it. Wooyoung was easygoing, but he wasn’t lazy or inconsiderate like that. Yeosang knew that, but he couldn’t help the annoyance that was slowly bubbling inside him. 

He better have a good explanation ready, he thought as he stepped outside, striding through their yard and dodging the cat that decided it was a good idea to dash right by his feet, even though it wasn’t even chasing anything. He had waited long enough. It was time to go look for Wooyoung. 

Yeosang circled through the usual spots he could usually find him. The riverbank, the mill or anywhere near Mingi’s house, the center of the village. And nowhere did he see Wooyoung. He ran into Mingi, though, who confirmed that the other had come to help him earlier, and had left a good while ago, after seeing Sungwoo walking towards their house. And while Yeosang hadn’t said anything other except a brief thank you as he continued on his way, he had to admit that mentioning Sungwoo unsettled him just a little. Wooyoung had a quick temper and he sometimes did things without thinking them through first. And while Yeosang didn’t know Sungwoo very well - and had no intention to get to know him either - he seemed like he wasn’t above getting violent, especially if provoked. In a worst case scenario, that could end up with Wooyoung getting seriously hurt. 

And Yeosang would have none of that happening on his watch. 

As he walked back to their house, he tried really hard to think of Wooyoung’s likely path. There was no way he would have gone too far... why hadn’t he come across him yet? 

He paused briefly as he noticed a familiar figure not too far away, walking ahead with two dogs. Yeosang quickly found his feet and ran, catching up with him quickly. Yunho turned around as he heard him approach before he could even shout out. 

”Hello there”, the tall man lifted his hand in greeting, his lips curved up to a small smile, but at the sight of Yeosang he seemed to sense something was amiss. Yunho had an eye for a lot of things, Yeosang knew that, and sensing other people’s state of mind was one of them.   
”Is everything alright?”

”I really hope so”, Yeosang replied, panting lightly from the quick run.   
”Have you seen Wooyoung anywhere? I tried to look for him since he didn’t come home yet...”

The way that Yunho frowned at his question stirred the slight unease, first awakened by Mingi, some more. As if sensing that, both Pest and Scoundrel stepped closer to him, the former nudging his leg gently as if it was trying to comfort him. 

”I did, he was there right at your gate, but it was hours ago”, Yunho said.  
”And... well, he didn’t go home, that I know.”

There was something more.

”What happened?” Yeosang prompted. 

”I’m not sure, what exactly, but he was arguing with Sungwoo. Though I can easily guess what it was about.”

So could he. Yeosang sighed. Maybe Wooyoung had been onto something when he had once said that he was being too nice with someone like Sungwoo. But usually just a firm debunk _was_ enough. He didn’t think anyone else had been this persistent before in trying to court him... well, maybe Wooyoung himself could have been like that, but he never had to, as his were the feelings Yeosang was more than happy to accept and return. And he had to admit that he truly hated how the farmhand had lately started straight up badmouthing his lover to him, as if that would have done anything to endear him to Yeosang. 

Yeah, as he now thought of it... he might have been a little too lenient. No wonder Wooyoung was pissed every time he even caught a glimpse of the man. Yeosang knelt down to pet Pest, and soon Scoundrel, while still a little wary, inched closer as well.

”Anyway, when I got there, Sungwoo was all up in Wooyoung’s face”, Yunho continued.  
”I didn’t hear what was said, but I don’t think it was anything pretty and it looked like they would have sorted it out with fists next, so I intervened.” 

Yeosang stilled. While Wooyoung wasn’t helpless, he was definitely not a fighter. And Sungwoo was strong. He sent Yunho a grateful look. 

”And then? What happened then?” he asked as he stood up.  
”Is Wooyoung okay?”

”He was mostly just pissed off, I think”, Yunho shrugged.  
”Said he needed some time alone and started walking away to the woods. Don’t worry, Sungwoo went the other way, so I think he should be okay.”

That was at least somewhat relieving, but he still had no idea of Wooyoung’s whereabouts. And just as Yunho had said, the whole incident had happened hours ago and he still hadn’t returned. Yeosang frowned. Wooyoung was someone who could lose his temper easily and then sulk, but it usually wasn’t for long before he would either forget about the matter or do something to make it better. What the hell had Sungwoo said to him to make him so angry that he still was out there somewhere trying to calm himself down?

Yunho patted his shoulder comfortingly. 

”I’m sure he’ll be home soon”, he assured him.  
”I’ll be going for another hunt now, I can try to look if he’s still there and I come across him.”

”Please don’t accidentally shoot him”, Yeosang hummed, nodding. 

”I would never. I’ll see you later.”

”Okay. Thank you, Yunho”, Yeosang waved after him as he led both Pest and Scoundrel towards the forest. Yeosang stood there for a while, watching after them as their figures got smaller and smaller, and eventually disappeared between the trees. 

Was Wooyoung really there somewhere? Despite the forest being an almost omnipresent thing that kept surrounding them wherever they went, neither of them really spent much time there. It wouldn’t make any sense for him to spend hours in there. Were there any other places Yeosang had overlooked so far?

... he could think of one. The lake. It was far enough for there to be some peace and quiet, but close enough for Wooyoung to go and sulk at the shore. The scenery was beautiful, perfect when he would have wanted a place to calm down. Especially since it was also the spot Yeosang had suggested for them to get married in... 

Wooyoung liked to talk about their wedding often, it was something that obviously brought him a lot of joy and comfort. And while Yeosang himself usually was less vocal on the subject, it wasn’t like he hadn’t made any plans at all. On the contrary, he had been meticulous in counting all the things they would need. Nothing big, he knew they both wanted just something simple with their closest friends - and pretty much the entire village, as leaving someone out would mean unnecessary conflict. It would take a lot, but Yeosang had been - very subtly, and with a lot of demands to _absolutely not mention anything to Wooyoung yet_ \- making some requests for helping him organize it. He had even gone to Jongho, to ask how much it would cost for the young smith’s apprentice to make him a pair of rings. And of course Jongho had told him right away that as his friends, they would get their rings with a very small expense, despite Yeosang’s insistence. 

It would take a lot of effort and resources to make it happen, but the early summer had been beautiful, and now, as the midsummer was almost here, the weather showed no signs of changing. And Yeosang had promised Wooyoung the most beautiful wedding he could ever give him. 

Yes, the lake sounded like the most logical spot to check next. Yeosang turned around on his heels. Either he would likely find Wooyoung there, or they had crossed at some point without realizing it and he would be home by the time he returned. 

Unfortunately, even the lake turned out to be the wrong answer, as there was no trace of Wooyoung. Yeosang even took the time to ask some of the men on the shore who were fixing a broken boat if they had seen him, but all of them claimed that there hadn’t been any sight of him. Yeosang frowned as he stared into the turbid water, absentmindedly rolling down his sleeves. 

One side of him tried to reason that he had no need to be so worried about the matter. Wooyoung was an adult and capable of taking care of himself. But to be gone for this long... it wasn’t like him. Not something he would have done. And as Yunho had told him, Wooyoung had been angry. And when Wooyoung was angry, he could do unpredictable things. Like march into the forest without looking where he was going and soon realize he was lost. 

Yeosang turned away from the unclear reflection of himself he had been staring and raised his head, looking at the forest that stood close once again. He should go take a look himself, even if Yunho had promised he would try as well. But he wouldn’t go too far. If he called for Wooyoung, he would find him, right?

He had to at least try. 

He had been tricked. Betrayed. Wooyoung’s mood was quickly souring. 

_Just keep walking until you come across it, my ass_. Wooyoung may not have been the best at approximating distances, but even he knew by now that if the lake was in the direction he had been pointed to, he would have found it ages ago. And yet all he had met was just more of the forest that, tree by tree, bush by bush, got more difficult and more annoying to walk through. 

Which meant that Seonghwa had lied to him. And Wooyoung couldn’t come up with a reason why. He hadn’t seemed mean-spirited in any way, the advice had sounded so genuine... and there was absolutely no reason to pull such a prank on him. Something was off.

Well, if he thought about it real hard, the encounter had been a little strange, but he had brushed it off as simply him not being used to running into handsome shirtless strangers every day. And how could someone not notice how weirdly quiet it was in here? Wooyoung had already grown to hate the sound of his own footsteps, as they were all he could hear. If he came across Seonghwa ever again, he would smack him and his stupidly pretty face. 

He had been here for hours, he was sure. Yeosang would be mad, or worried. Or both. The former at first, until Wooyoung could explain that he actually got lost and probably hit his head or something, and then fuss over him a little bit until he would be sure he was okay. And he didn’t even get those damn wild strawberries.

Wooyoung let out a short, frustrated yell as he ran a hand through his hair. He was lost. He had briefly gotten his hopes up but that had been crushed by now that the lake was nowhere near in sight, and neither was any other familiar place he would have recognized. And the _damn plants_. Despite none of them growing particularly high and the ground being mostly dry by now, they kept sticking on his clothes and he had to swipe them off every two seconds or so. The worst thing, however, was the silence that was slowly driving him insane. He would have taken a dozen cuckoos screeching their infuriating call right next to him over the nothing that he was surrounded by. 

Seriously, that was something that he couldn’t simply ignore anymore. How was it possible that nothing made any noise anymore? And he hadn’t seen a single tiny bird fly over him once? What kind of a cursed part had he accidentally walked into? Wooyoung remembered hearing stories of people getting lost in the woods and never returning... but this forest wasn’t that large! He would have to reach the end of it at some point! He had to!

His despairing was interrupted as there suddenly was another voice, cutting through the deafening silence. And it was the voice of an angel. Wooyoung’s heart leaped in relief. 

”Wooyoung?”

 _Yeosang._ Yeosang was looking for him! Wooyoung sighed. While he couldn’t see Yeosang, and the voice sounded like it was coming from quite far away, it felt incredible to hear something. A familiar voice even more so. 

”Wooyoung, are you here?”

”I’m here!” Wooyoung yelled back and jumped over a smaller rock, speeding up into a sprint as he tried his best to follow Yeosang’s voice. At least it was coming from where he was already heading to... maybe Seonghwa hadn’t been entirely misleading him as he had pointed him this way. The trees were getting a little sparser too, the sunlight piercing through them. Not that the forest had been particularly dark anyway. It never got very dark in summer, Wooyoung had noticed, as the sun set only for a few hours at most. 

He yelped as he almost fell over thanks to another tree root, but caught himself in time. Yeosang’s voice called for him again. 

”Yeosang! I’m here!” Wooyoung called as he ran. It sounded like he was close, now. They would have to run to each other soon. 

Not too far ahead he spotted a clearing. There, he could wait there and call for Yeosang until the other would find him. With speed like he had never possessed before, Wooyoung ran to the edge of the clearing, where he finally stopped, as he felt his lungs and feet protest loudly. He leaned on his knees, panting as he looked around. Yeosang had to be close by. But it still bothered him that he couldn’t hear any other footsteps in the forest. Since it was so quiet, he thought he would have heard Yeosang move, even if he was further away. But no, all he had heard were his shouts. But it was good enough for him. Now he knew he wasn’t alone in here, and that his beloved was looking for him. 

And soon enough, he spotted a familiar figure approaching the clearing from the opposite side, recognizing the light-colored shirt from afar. Easy way to spot someone amidst all the greenery. 

”Over here!” Wooyoung raised his hands, waving. He could see Yeosang raise his head, but from this distance it was hard to see his expression. 

It was at that moment, however, when Wooyoung felt a slight unease make home in his stomach. Because even from this far, he could see that Yeosang wasn’t looking exactly at him. No, instead he seemed to be just gazing around, trying to locate him. As if he wasn’t standing right here. 

Something was wrong. Very wrong.

”Wooyoung, where are you?”

Very, _very_ wrong. 

Wooyoung was about to just run ahead, straight up run into Yeosang and tackle him into the grass. He couldn’t have that bad of an eyesight that he could miss him then.

He would have done that, if only his feet had moved. 

Wooyoung glanced down momentarily, trying to see if he had gotten stuck in something. But no, there was nothing on the ground, and the only thing stuck on him was some more leaves and small twigs that he didn’t remember snapping as he had run. And yet, he suddenly felt it very clear. He couldn’t move an inch. 

At least his voice still worked.

”I’m here! Right here!” he was almost screaming at this point. Yeosang obviously heard him, as his head shot up at his call, trying to locate him, and he strode forward, to the center of the clearing. But how was it possible that he couldn’t see him?

Wooyoung tried again, calling for Yeosang, many times. He was right here, right in front of him! But even when Yeosang was almost right there, on touching range, their eyes never met once, despite Wooyoung desperately trying to make it happen. He tried waving his hands, reaching out to touch him. And when he tried, his hand froze midway, refusing to let him do it. He couldn’t move. He kept shouting, and Yeosang kept responding, each time more confused, more alarmed, in keeping with Wooyoung’s own emotions spiraling downwards to despair once again. 

Yeosang was so close to him, but he couldn’t see him. And Wooyoung couldn’t touch him, couldn’t run to him and show him he was right there. He felt the growing unease twist inside him as he saw Yeosang’s face grow more and more distressed. 

If only he could move... Wooyoung drew a long, shaky breath as he tried to calm himself down. He had to direct Yeosang to him. Calmly, without panicking. There was something really strange going on, but they could get through it together. 

”Wooyoung?” Yeosang called again, sounding near desperate. Wooyoung opened his mouth, but the words got stuck somewhere along the way. Nothing came out. Like something was forcing him to stay quiet. He tried again. And again, something stole his voice. Wooyoung felt panic starting to gnaw his spine with its sharp teeth. 

”Wooyoung?” Yeosang kept repeating his name.  
”Wooyoung, please answer me! I’m at the clearing! Are you here?”

I am, I am right here with you, Wooyoung thought, frozen in place and trying to get his voice to work with no success, as even straight up screams died in his throat before they even got the chance to be heard. He felt his face twitch, the tears quickly following, freely falling to his cheeks. 

Something he noticed being replicated on Yeosang’s face, when he turned once more that he could see. While he wasn’t fully crying just yet, Wooyoung could see those beautiful doe eyes watering, his own name continuously on Yeosang’s lips, being repeated so many times it stopped sounding like a real word. 

The overwhelming feeling of powerlessness swept over him as he watched Yeosang wipe his eyes and let out the smallest of sobs. Wooyoung felt his own tears reach his chin. They tickled. His hand refused to move so he couldn’t wipe them away. Not even a finger agreed to twitch slightly. 

Yeosang’s voice had gone quiet as more sobs shook his body and he buried his face in his hands. Wooyoung felt like something was trying to tug his heart out of his chest. 

”Oh? You were right”, a voice said right next to his ear, and it would have made him jump had it been possible at the moment. Wooyoung wanted to scream at Seonghwa, as said man stepped next to him, looking at Yeosang.

”He’s very beautiful, just like you said.”

The universe was playing a cruel prank on him. That must be it. Why else would this happen? 

Yeosang wiped the tears that had managed to break through, despite his best attempt to stay calm. He needed to keep his mind clear. To figure out what was happening. 

Why he was hearing Wooyoung’s voice calling for him, telling him he was right here, and yet he couldn’t see him anywhere, causing both of their calls to ring more and more alarmed, desperate.

And why suddenly he wasn’t replying anymore, at all. 

Yeosang wasn’t stupid. He knew something was wrong, but couldn’t tell what. If everything had been normal, Wooyoung would have run to him already, or they would have at least seen each other. And for him to fall completely silent all of a sudden... that was not something Wooyoung would have done. It wasn’t like him. 

Something must have happened to him, and Yeosang had to find him. He had to help. 

He wiped his face once more and steeled himself. Despite the horrible thoughts of Wooyoung being hurt and just barely out of his reach, this was not the time to curl up and cry. He had to do something. Keep searching. Wander deeper into the woods, if that meant he had even a chance to find Wooyoung. He had to be so close to him, he had heard his voice so clearly.

Yeosang could only take a couple steps forward, however, before he stopped once more. It wasn’t really a conscious decision on his part, more like something had compelled him to do so. He didn’t know what it was, but he felt like it was trying to keep him from going any further. It wanted him to turn back and run away. To not find Wooyoung. 

Wooyoung always said he could be incredibly stubborn, and Yeosang had to agree with him. Even if he made a point to be polite with most people, no one would ever get to walk over him. When it came to things that mattered, he would stand his ground until he got his way. 

But now, for the first time maybe ever, or at least in a good while, he was feeling like that wasn’t something he could do. Whatever _it_ was that was keeping Wooyoung from him, it had a will even stronger than his. And it wanted him to turn around and walk the other way. _Go, you can’t help him_ , Yeosang imagined it saying as he stared pointedly at a fallen tree branch, trying to will his eyes to stay dry.

He hated that he even entertained the thought of it being right. But in a way, it was. What could he do? He had heard Wooyoung, but didn’t know where he was, couldn’t locate him, not even make sure he was unharmed. And by every passing moment, he was becoming more convinced that there was something else in this forest as well, and it didn’t want them to reunite. 

Slowly, his eyes carefully combing through the entire clearing and its edges, Yeosang turned around on his heels and left, following his own tracks. The thought of leaving Wooyoung here alone for any longer broke his heart, but he knew it was all he could do for now. He couldn’t do this alone.

He found an easy shortcut that took him much closer to their house than if he had gone back to the lake. First, Yeosang slipped through the gate to check their home thoroughly once more. The forest could play tricks on one’s mind, maybe Wooyoung would be home and he had gotten worried over nothing. But the screams... they had sounded so real, even though Yeosang really wanted nothing more than them not to be real. 

Their cat followed him closely as he stepped inside, calling for Wooyoung once more. He hadn’t exactly expected much, considering what he had just experienced, but the silence answering back to him killed even the smallest sparks of hope in him that he had somehow managed to fall asleep and could simply wake up from a bad dream. 

Whatever just had happened had to be real, and it meant Wooyoung could be in danger. He had to get help. 

Yeosang scrambled out of the house just as quick as he had got there. There was no time to waste, he needed to get to Wooyoung as fast as he could. However, just as he got on the other side of the gate again and closed it, it became clear that the universe was not agreeing with him, as they sent someone to stall. 

”Oh? You seem to be in a hurry. At this hour?”

Yeosang grimaced. Of course. Just his luck. Would there ever come a day when Sungwoo would simply ignore his existence just like Yeosang tried to ignore him? 

”I am”, he replied, forcing himself to sound calm and to keep his face neutral as he looked up. He would not break down in front of this man. He had no time for that. 

Sungwoo had already stood close, but when their eyes met, he inched even closer, much more than what Yeosang considered polite. Then again, if it was up to him, the closest he wanted the other to be was for him to stand on the other side of the village. 

”Is everything okay?” it almost sounded like genuine concern. Maybe it was, even if Yeosang was pretty sure that Sungwoo didn’t actually care about him as a person. Just like several others before him, he was simply attracted to his looks and now was prowling for an opportunity to get Yeosang alone and spread his legs. As if Yeosang would ever be unfaithful to Wooyoung like that, or let someone persuade him into leaving the man he’d been in love with for years and was happy with.

”You’ve been crying.”

Was it that obvious? Yeosang caught himself tapping his cheeks for any tear trails that might have been there. Sungwoo placed his arm around his shoulders. The gesture was likely intended to appear comforting, but it just felt invasive, due to the person doing it. 

”You can tell me. Did something happen?”

There was no reason to tell him anything. For all Yeosang knew, this entire thing was partially Sungwoo’s fault. 

”It’s Wooyoung. I think he’s... he’s in danger. Something happened to him.”

He didn’t know why he replied. Maybe it was out of distress, out of need for some much needed comfort, for reassurance that everything would be okay and this could be solved. What he got, however, was a condescending sigh that couldn’t have been further from what he needed or wanted to hear. 

”You shouldn’t waste your tears on him”, Sungwoo hummed, patting his shoulder.   
”He isn’t worth it.”

Yeosang rarely lost his temper. Even when he was angry, he tried not to let it show, preferring to step back and resolve conflicts after he had calmed down. But now, he found it significantly harder than usual. 

”I can waste my tears on whatever I damn please”, he snapped.   
”And Wooyoung is worth more than you could ever even dream to be.”

Who did he think he was? Yeosang knew he looked visibly unsettled, and he had just said Wooyoung could be _in danger_. And that was all Sungwoo had to say about it? How devoid of emotional intelligence - how _delusional_ \- could he get? Even if he didn’t like Wooyoung at all, he should have even had the good sense of understanding Yeosang’s concern! 

Yeosang shook the invasive arm off of him. Sungwoo seemed surprised by his outburst, staring at him with his mouth open. He scoffed. He had no time for this. He had to help Wooyoung. 

”Get out of my way, I need to go.” 

He had to find real help. And his first thought was to find Yunho. He knew everything about the forest, he could explain what had just happened. 

Yunho had left for a hunt while Yeosang had been searching... it meant that as he returned, he would more than likely stop by Mingi’s house to spend time with him... and it was where he needed to go as well. Yeosang quickly found himself sprinting to the mill. 

How Wooyoung hadn’t noticed the strange air surrounding Seonghwa earlier was completely beyond him. Now, it was painfully obvious and he would have screamed at his own stupidity if his voice wasn’t being held back by an invisible force. It should have been a red flag alone that Seonghwa hadn’t thought the eerie silence was strange in any way. He had been weird. And now that Wooyoung looked at him, seemed even weirder and more threatening. 

Seonghwa had finally put more clothes on and wasn’t strutting around shirtless. Instead he had covered himself with a robe, that seemed to have its color shift as he moved, to fit in with his surroundings. Not really brown, not really green either. Wooyoung frowned. It made the other almost hard to follow for his eyes. As it was supposed to, he suddenly realized. What other need would anyone have for such a strange garment. 

And it was now that he walked forward, past Wooyoung to look at Yeosang, that Wooyoung looked down at his feet. Seonghwa walked barefoot, which was maybe not the best choice in the forest, but not unheard of in summer, and it didn’t seem to bother him at all. However, what Wooyoung also noticed was that his footsteps didn’t make _any_ noise, and there were no tracks left in the moss, as if it was carrying him instead of getting pressed beneath his feet. Wooyoung swallowed silently as he looked back up. What was going on? Suddenly the pretty man he had run into seemed a lot less... human and more like something he should run away from really fast. If only he could run, that is. 

Seonghwa was still looking at Yeosang, who almost seemed to be staring back, even if Wooyoung was pretty certain he couldn’t actually see either of them. He didn’t like this at all. He wanted to tell Yeosang to run away, or Seonghwa to stop being creepy and explain himself. He couldn’t do either. 

”You make a very pretty couple”, Seonghwa stated as he finally took a step back, towards Wooyoung.   
”Young and beautiful, both of you.”

He leaned closer, to his eye level, even though the height difference wasn’t that drastic. Wooyoung wanted to flinch back as he was regarded carefully, like Seonghwa was trying to map every single detail of his face. 

”You even smell like a rose”, he hummed quietly, making Wooyoung hate his habit of wearing rose water as a perfume for the first time in his life, especially as Seonghwa continued.

”Made you easy to find.”

That was not a good thing in this case, he thought. Whoever - or rather, whatever - Seonghwa was, he was by now certain that he didn’t particularly want to be found by him.

”Not that it was that hard in the first place, you’re not exactly quiet as you move”, Seonghwa noted, finally drawing away, to Wooyoung’s minimal relief. His neck was itching, he had never wanted to scratch something so bad, but his fingers couldn’t even twitch. Only his eyes were taking commands from him, allowing him to glance at Yeosang once more. Who still stood there, staring right into them without seeing anything. 

”He might have heard you a while ago, but he will not hear us talking anymore”, Seonghwa said, adjusting his cape.   
”And as you probably already realized, he doesn’t see us either.”

He had realized that, but didn’t know why. The question must have been visible on his face, or Seonghwa simply liked to explain things through, since he still wouldn’t shut up.

”You’re in my domain right now, invisible to others”, he said.   
”Trespassing, if you will. That isn’t very nice, don’t you think?”

He even had the audacity to pout his lip in an almost endearing manner, to act as if he’d been hurt by Wooyoung happening to stumble upon him. Wooyoung scoffed, surprising himself as his voice seemed to suddenly free itself from the invisible force’s grip. 

”I wasn’t trespassing!” he huffed.   
”I tripped and suddenly everything was weird. And this is a forest, it’s not owned by anyone, is it?”

Seonghwa chuckled, letting the faux-hurt face fall and be replaced by a smug smirk. 

”It is my forest”, he stated simply, folding his arms.  
”My domain that I have the right to rule over how I see fit.”

”Well I am sorry”, Wooyoung forced himself to say, even if he didn’t feel like he should be apologizing for anything.   
”How about you release me from whatever spell you have me under? Then I could leave and not disturb you anymore?”

He had to be a witch of some kind. How else could Yeosang not see or hear them? And there was no other explanation for all the weirdness in the scenery and how Wooyoung suddenly couldn’t move a muscle. 

Seonghwa tilted his head, that same annoying smirk on his face still. Instinctively, Wooyoung knew he wouldn’t like whatever he was about to say next. 

”Maybe I have given you a wrong impression”, he said.  
”While you are trespassing, and it’s certainly not polite, I’m not displeased in any way.”

Wait, what? Wooyoung frowned. When he had just chastised him... and suddenly it wasn’t a problem? 

Then the realization hit him, causing a wave of dread wash over him. Seonghwa was obviously dangerous. And were he a witch, or a forest spirit of some kind... it mattered little, to be honest, but it was obvious that he had found a new prey for himself. 

Oh no, _no_ , he needed to get out of here and fast. 

”In any case, I should leave”, he said, miraculously managing to sound calm. Maybe Seonghwa would have mercy on him, if he looked pitiful enough... Wooyoung wasn’t too proud to beg for his life. Or Yeosang’s, for that matter, as he was right there, even if they were apparently separated by... something. 

”Mmm, you probably should leave, indeed”, Seonghwa nodded, his smile and voice were sweet but Wooyoung could almost taste the poison they were concealing.   
”But I don’t want you to.”

Even if he had been expecting them, those six words sunk deep, sowing the fear into him and making sure it wouldn’t leave him anytime soon. Wooyoung tried to control his breath as he felt it getting quicker and more shallow. He couldn’t afford to panic now. He had to find a way to escape. 

”I could have use for another servant”, Seonghwa hummed, almost to himself as he circled around him, leaning closer once more, right next to his ear.   
”Or perhaps, I should just devour you. You seem like you would be nice to feast on.”

Wooyoung could feel the hairs on the back of his neck rising in terror. He hated having been right on his guess about Seonghwa’s true nature. A soft, dark chuckle rang into his ear.

”Oh, little one, don’t be like that. I am not as cruel as you think.”

Two fingers tapped his cheek, prompting him to turn his head, to look once more at the clearing. Wooyoung squinted as he looked for Yeosang’s form, eventually locating him. Much further away than he had been a moment ago. 

Yeosang was leaving. He was leaving the area, leaving Wooyoung alone with this _demon_. 

”He will return to look for you again, don’t you think?” Seonghwa asked, caressing his cheek. Wooyoung wanted to yank his head back. He couldn’t.   
”You better hope he will.”

”He will”, Wooyoung said without even thinking. But he knew Yeosang. He wouldn’t give up on him, no matter what. He would do the same, were their positions reversed. 

”Well then, that is good news for you”, Seonghwa said.  
”It leaves you with a couple of options. You could trade places with him, if you wish. Or invite him with us. How does that sound?”

”So you could eat both of us? Are you insane?” Wooyoung snapped, flabbergasted. Did the other think he was an idiot? Or someone who would trade his beloved’s live for his own? It seemed like Seonghwa had been expecting exactly that response, however, as he laughed.

”Oh, I wouldn’t do that. I wasn’t serious about eating you, either”, he replied, tapping Wooyoung’s cheekbone with his fingertip. His nails were long, stained black, Wooyoung noticed. Like a beast’s claws.   
”However, if something steps on my land, it will become mine... unless it manages to escape, that is.”

Wooyoung frowned.

”I’m not exactly given a chance here, though?” he pointed out. Seonghwa had circled back to stand in front of him again, and he was looking at him with his big shiny eyes, as if trying to appear cute and innocent. If the situation had been different, Wooyoung might have fallen for it.

”Hm? But you can move, right? You can leave?” he said, again with that deceptively sweet voice. Wooyoung was about to protest, when he felt his fingers twitch. After that it was his head that agreed to move as he tried, and finally his feet were back in his control. He could move again. 

”You’re free to go, if you can manage to find your way out of here”, Seonghwa smiled at him.  
”Before you’re hunted down, of course.”

Wooyoung did not like the sound of that. He knew it. Of course the odds would be stacked against him. There would likely be traps. This was Seonghwa’s domain, a place he knew like the back of his hand, while to Wooyoung everything kept looking unfamiliar, like it was somewhere he had never been before and like he couldn’t remember where he had been even a few minutes ago. 

This was not fair, and he was almost certainly doomed. He knew it. The only small chance he had was just trying to keep Seonghwa’s claws off of him and pray Yeosang would come back to look for him, preferably having figured out a way to get to him. 

But how likely would that be...?

Seonghwa’s smile turned wicked, rousing another flame of fear in Wooyoung’s stomach.

”I’ll give you a little head start”, he said. 

Wooyoung wasn’t about to refuse. 

He turned on his heel and ran. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so, Wooyoung proceeds to have possibly the worst summer night in his life.
> 
> Seonghwa here is mostly inspired by **Ajatar/Ajattara** , which in Finnish folklore is a malicious forest spirit, that leads people astray in the woods (It's also a female spirit, but gender is a construct and I am riding with my artistic license here anyway since there isn't much information about these things). We will finally see the rest of the boys in the next chapter as well, I promise!
> 
> Twt: [@Absmare](https://twitter.com/Absmare)  
> Cc: [@Absmare](https://curiouscat.qa/Absmare)


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